Key Takeaways 

• Singapore's hawker centres offer age-friendly, budget-conscious vegan classics.

• Sydney's "Vegan Valley" in Newtown is a walkable haven for plant-based brunch.

• Authentic South Indian vegetarian food has thrived in Singapore since 1947.

• HappyCow app makes finding vegan meals effortless — no tech skills needed.

• Both cities blend multicultural cuisines, so vegan variety is always on the menu.

A vegan guide to Singapore and Sydney

If you’ve asked for meat-free meals in the Asia Pacific region and been met with cold salads and colder stares, let me offer my sympathies. I’ve been there, had that (both the salads and the stares). 

But here is some good news. Two of the most exciting foodie cities in this part of the world have embraced the vegan movement with their usual panache, and are ready to serve you the freshest and tastiest plant-based meals. All that’s left for you to do is to put on the bib and pick up that fork.

Singapore: go in hot for the hawker culture

Singapore's multi-ethnic population has always meant that the food culture too is giving and generous, waiting to include everyone. The city nation’s culinary identity is rooted in its hawker centres, which are glorious, cacophonous temples to cheap, quick and delectable cooking. 

In recent years, a massive increase in the popularity of mock meats and a wave of new plant-based restaurants have combined to bring in modern twists on street classics like char kway teow and laksa. Such signature dishes lend themselves easily to vegetarian adaptations, with simple swaps of seafood and lard with tofu and vegetable stock, thus preserving the essential depth of flavour. Even the beloved soupy yong tau foo is easily veganised. Just pick your tofu and vegetables, ask for a non-meat broth, and skip the fish paste. 

At the city’s many hawker centres, dishes like popiah, rojak, and vegetable bee hoon have also long existed in naturally meat-free forms. Chinese Buddhist vegetarian cooking, with its elaborate mock meats made from tofu and gluten, has a long lineage too. And Indian hawker stalls can always be relied upon to serve up naturally vegetarian and even vegan dosas, curries and rice dishes for decades here. 

Tip: Download the popular mobile app HappyCow to help you find vegetarian and vegan options even in the heart of a hawker centre, almost everywhere on the planet.

Where to Eat

GreenDot: With multiple outlets, including one at Changi, this place gave vegan laksa the exalted status it deserves. A piping hot bowl with rice noodles in spicy soup, topped with shiitake mushroom and beansprout, packs no less flavours than the popular seafood version. Try the custom bento box with sesame rice and Gong Bao mushrooms for an easy meal.

VeganBurg: A local brand that claims to be the world's first 100% plant-based burger joint, this has a variety of options, including the creamy shrooms burger, char-grilled satay burger, and a chili krab burger served with sides of seaweed fries and mushroom pops. Chilli crab is an iconic Singaporean dish, and the fact that a vegan version exists is just the kind of validation new age ecowarriors need.

Komala Vilas: This legendary South Indian vegetarian institution serving crisp dosas with chutney and sambhar since 1947, is a must-try for anyone wanting authentic vegetarian or vegan food on a budget. One tip to remember is to ignore the new-fangled additions of north Indian naans and curries, and focus on the hearty rice-based south Indian fare.

Sydney: Vegan Valley and beyond

The plant-based scene in Sydney is up and growing, with an experimental energy that is fuelled by the city's café culture and locals who take brunch very seriously. The Inner West suburb of Newtown has earned the unofficial nickname of “Vegan Valley,” but believe me when I say that the vibe is not limited to one postcode. Neighbourhoods like Bondi, Surry Hills and the CBD all have dining places with excellent meatless menus, especially for brunch and lunch.

Like Singapore, Sydney’s multicultural DNA has meant that dishes from all over the world – whether Middle Eastern falafel, hummus and fattoush or Sri Lankan hoppers and stews – have been woven into the city’s food vocabulary for decades now. And the focus on green and clean has only grown stronger with support from Sydney’s obsessive crush on fresh, seasonal and locally-sourced produce, with some of the city’s best chefs now building entire menus around the idea of shining the spotlight on, gasp, vegetables!

Where to Eat

Yulli's: A stalwart of the vegetarian food scene for almost 15 years, their sharing plates menu includes delights like the kale and saltbush gyoza, mini Vietnamese pancakes, sticky Korean fried broccolini, and crispy tofu cauliflower pappardelle. The sticky date pudding is a crowd favourite. 

Gigi Pizzeria: Once a regular pizza joint, Gigi underwent a revamp and emerged as a fully plant-based restaurant. The house-made vegan mozzarella, crafted from cashew or soy-based yoghurt is to die for.

Golden Lotus: Their pho is made from 20 kilos of vegetables boiled for over 10 hours (take that, meat stock!), and the menu stretches to vegan duck, chicken and fish dishes, as well as rice paper rolls, eggplant clay pot and vermicelli noodle salads so good, they will make committed carnivores forget what they’re missing. Ha, only kidding. Or are we?

Speedos Café: Arrive at this Instagram hotspot before 10am to claim a sea-facing table. And then settle in with Japanese pancakes, an avo smash or a falafel bowl – all served up with Bondi in the background. This is Sydney’s brunch culture at its most unapologetically stylish and photogenic.

FAQS

Is Singapore vegan-friendly for older travellers unfamiliar with the food?

Yes — hawker centres have long served naturally meat-free dishes like popiah and vegetable bee hoon, and apps like HappyCow make navigation easy for any traveller.

Where are the best vegan restaurants in Sydney for a leisurely brunch?

Speedos Café in Bondi and Yulli's in Newtown are top picks — relaxed pace, excellent menus, and no need to rush, perfect for over-50 visitors.

Can I eat vegan on a budget in Singapore?

Absolutely. Hawker centre meals at places like Komala Vilas are among the most affordable and satisfying vegan eats in all of Asia.

Do Singapore and Sydney have vegan versions of their iconic dishes?

Yes — Singapore offers vegan laksa and chilli krab burgers, while Sydney restaurants serve fully plant-based pizza, pho, and Vietnamese-inspired fare.

Which Sydney neighbourhood is best for plant-based dining?

Newtown — nicknamed "Vegan Valley" — is the most concentrated hub, but Bondi, Surry Hills, and the CBD all have excellent meatless options, especially for brunch and lunch.